Kristin Reviews 12 Years a Slave
The movie is beautifully crafted and successful in its mission, assuming its mission is to graphically illustrate the horrors of slavery. If you found your history books lacking when it came to descriptions of the abhorrent treatment of the men, women, and children who had the misfortune to be enslaved in the South in the mid-1800s, you can now rest easy, knowing there is a visual aid that will leave you forever certain you don’t want to know any more.
Chiwetel Ejiofor turns in an Oscar-worthy performance as Solomon Northup, a free man who was kidnapped and forced into slavery with little hope of returning to his life and family in the North. The screenplay is based upon Northup’s account of his experience, written in 1853 after he was finally returned to his home, following 12 years of slavery. A cast of critic-favorites, most notably Benedict Cumberbatch, Michael Fassbender, Paul Dano, and Paul Giamatti, put on their “despicable white-man” masks for their Oscar bids. The performance that really stands out, though, is that of Lupita Nyong’o as Patsey, another slave. Along with Northup’s efforts to balance his need to accept his fate against his dream of returning home, Patsey’s suffering serves as a kind of core to the film’s story.
12 Years a Slave will undoubtedly be nominated for numerous awards, including (I predict) Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor, possibly more than one Supporting Actor/Actress (I hope to hear Nyong’o’s name read on January 16), as well as awards in multiple technical categories.The film may also be nominated for Best Adapted Screenplay, although I would argue that this is the one category in which it is less deserving, primarily due to a weak ending that fails to satisfactorily live up to all that precedes it.
If I were solely a critic and not a regular person who enjoys going to the movies to be entertained, I would grant 12 Years a Slave all the stars or upward-facing thumbs or tomatoes in my basket. The thing is, as a regular movie viewer, I can’t really say I enjoyed the film.
For one thing, I knew the movie was based upon a book written by the main character after he survived his ordeal (and the very title tells us that his ordeal came to an end after 12 years), so I already knew how it was going to end. Unlike a movie like Titanic, where the known-ahead-of-time ending is spectacular enough that the audience is actually waiting to see it, 12 Years a Slave isn’t building up to anything other than the relief of knowing Northup has survived. There is no suspense, meaning there is no pressing reason to stay in one’s seat to find out what happens next. Since the film does not track or count down the years of Northup’s ordeal, there is no clear progression - no rising action or feeling like the story is headed anywhere - it’s just a barrage of horrific incidents with no reprieve for over two hours.
I didn’t stay in my seat because I wanted to know what was going to happen next; I stayed in my seat because I’d paid to see the film, I knew it was an Oscar contender, and the performances were masterful (with the exception of a brief appearance by Brad Pitt, who seemed uninvested compared to the other actors, who were all working so hard). I did not stay in my seat because I was enjoying the movie. The brutal and dehumanizing treatment of the slaves featured in the film is excruciating to watch, and it just keeps coming, scene after scene. This, I think, may have at least been bearable had the resolution been stronger – had the third act packed a punch equal to every punch endured by Northup. Instead, the film emotionally pummeled me for over two hours and then, just when it needed to deliver the satisfying resolution I’d been waiting for, it fizzled out. I left the theater feeling as Northup had been cheated the happy ending he was due, and, because I had invested in his journey, I felt cheated as well.
-Kristin
11.14.2013
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